


A Soldier's Return

by aomineavenue



Series: A Soldier's Return [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24876340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aomineavenue/pseuds/aomineavenue
Summary: The attack of the Armored and Colossus Titan has shook humanity's peace, and as if that wasn't enough, your orders were to return to the Survey Corps. What are you hiding?
Relationships: Levi & Reader, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader, Levi Ackerman/Reader, Levi/Reader
Series: A Soldier's Return [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800004
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own anything but my original characters for this story and my ideas.
> 
> I haven't written anything at all, so please bare with me hehe. This is sort of based between both anime and the manga itself, but if I do any mistakes, feel free to correct me. Thank you!

You stare out of one of the large windows of the courthouse in Mitras, your brows furrowed as you watch the soldiers from every regiment alongside with other civilians of the interior scattered about outside, probably wanting a taste of the latest gossip. You were inside the courthouse yourself, and were in the high ranks too, and yet—you weren't even aware of the situation itself. _Some people are really pathetic._

_"Captain,"_

You snap out of your thoughts at the intrusion, flickering your gaze over to one of your comrades, arching a brow in curiosity as you move your hands behind your back, "What is it?"

"General Zackly requests your presence in his office, Captain."

You nod your head "Thank you, Cadet Arthur," before heading off towards the direction of where General Zackly's office was located, not bothering to give an ounce of attention towards the other soldiers that surrounded the place, saluting you at your mere presence.

Upon reaching his office, you gently knock on the wooden framed door as you announce your arrival before stepping inside, your eyes instantly falling on the man you've worked closely with the past five years as you shut the door behind you.

"General Zackly," you greet with a salute.

The man couldn't help but chuckle at your entrance, "After years of telling you to call me Darius, you still insist in being so formal."

"Of course, sir." you lift your shoulders in a shrug like manner before dropping your hands down to your lower back; a posture every soldier is familiar with, "I wouldn't want our fellow soldiers to think that I have no sense of respect, wouldn't want the other soldiers to think they can do the same."

He slowly nods, settling himself back against his seat behind his desk, "I suppose I should get down to business, we don't have much time to waste,"

"What could have possibly happened—"

He sighs, "We have another problem in our hands, one of the new recruits this year, well he had done the impossible or rather humanity's worst fear."

You arch a brow in curiosity, the sight of fear in his eyes were enough to set alarms in your head, "What is it, sir?"

"He was able to turn into a titan himself," he murmurs, the fear laced in his voice as he spoke the impossible.

Your eyes widen ever so slightly, feeling your muscles tense at the very idea, "What? How is this possible?"

"I do not know the full details myself, Captain. It seems that the boy did not know he held such abilities himself," he frowns, brows furrowed in slight irritation. If it was one thing that you knew, it was that Darius despised the fact of not knowing things, much like you.

You stare at the man before you, the tension was evident, working beside the man for at least five years was enough for you to know his many quirks, "What is it that you want me to do, sir? You had not wanted me to attend the hearing earlier, is this what it was all about?"

He nods in response to your second question before settling himself further into his seat, "I want you to keep an eye on him, as much as I trust the man who had offered to handle the boy—"

"You want me to leave my post and handle the situation myself, don't you?" you sigh as he nods once more, "I'm not quite fond of this situation you're handing me, General and you know _he_ won't be very fond of me leaving my post either."

Zackly shrugs his shoulders, "It's not like he can disagree either, and you know that."

"Do I go about this alone—"

With a flick of his hand, "I'll have a few of my other soldiers by my side, your fellow comrades who decided to join you five years ago may follow you, I'm sure they would want to follow you wherever you go."

"I don't know," you sigh, "But I will do my best, sir. Does the Commander of the Survey Corps know of this decision?"

Zackly nods with a chuckle, "Of course he does, and you were right. He wasn't happy about it, but as I've said, he doesn't have a choice."

"He can't protect me forever," you sigh, "I guess I'll be paying a visit to the Commander then, it was an honour serving you by your side, General."

He nods, a small smile playing on his lips, "I couldn't be more proud of you, and you know Lucas is, too. I know why you're hesitant to leave him, but he'll be protected here."

"I know he would be," you said honestly with a sigh, "But I understand why you want me to do this, I just wish I didn't have to face a certain someone,"

Zackly nods, "However, you're bound to come across paths one way or another, and if I were you, I would find a way to at least tell him,"

You shake your head, "It's not as important as saving humanity." And all Zackly could do was stare at you sadly.

* * *

"At ease, soldiers," you command to the small group of soldiers in the middle of the room that had saluted at your entrance. You make your way to stand in front of them, hands behind your back as you survey each one of your comrades with your gaze. These four have been with you through thick and thin, despite being behind the safety of Wall Sina, all of you shared enough knowledge and skill in combat. The five of you had a year with the Scouts after your graduation in the year 843 before General Zackly had requested for you to stand by his side and run things within the three regiments.

The honour was unbelievable, but apparently Zackly had faith in your abilities, and with a final push from the now obnoxious Commander of the Survey Corps, you finally agreed. They had their reasons for pushing you, and with your situation, you had no choice but to agree. However, your departure from the regiment also meant that you had the chance to recruit some of your fellow comrades as per General Zackly. You hadn't wanted to, but your fellow squad members, loyal as they are, had not wanted to leave your side. So, they followed.

_Arthur Pence_

_Martin Rose_

_Mia Rose_

_Zacharia_ _h Holt_

As much as you five shared a friendship, even before during your training in the Training Corps, the five of you stayed together, you wouldn't have it any other way. You just hadn't expected the four of them being loyal and joining you back then. And despite having such friendship, they still have the respect for you as Captain, even after you've told them you don't mind. However, just like your conversation with the General, they replied the same way you did. They didn't want the other soldiers to think it would be okay. They were good people, and they were trained to be the best, just like you were.

"I had been asked to step down of my position," you announce, their eyes widening at this. Confusion now slowly creeping into their expressions, "Before any of you react, I had been tasked by the General to return to the Survey Corps to keep an eye on things. As you may have heard, the rumours are correct, General Zackly has given me confirmation of a fellow soldier having the ability to shift into a Titan. It is now my duty to keep an eye on things, and also to report back any progress to the General. I had been told, that if you wish to stay in your positions, you will be allowed to do so. I have the authority to transfer my position and privileges to who I see fit."

Your comrades stay silent, contemplating on their next move. Zachariah, your next in command, spoke first, "And if we wish to follow you, Captain?"

"You may do so as well," you nod, "I am giving you the free will. You must know, if you do intend to follow me, you will indeed return to being a Scout and will soon venture the walls under the Scout Commander's orders, not only will you have to answer to me, but you must follow whoever is in charge there as well, and as expected, you will have to face the dangers of beyond the walls,"

"We follow you to the death, you know this Captain." Mia announces the rest follow with a nod, "We will stay by your side."

"I'm honoured of such loyalty, I wouldn't ask for a better team," you smile at them, "However, I do wish one of you to stay. As much as I know General Zackly having other soldiers to trust, you know me, I do not wish to leave the man himself."

Arthur steps forward, saluting you once more, "If I could, Captain. I would like to take up your offer. It would be an honour to stand by General Zackly's side,"

"Then so be it," you give him a nod before turning to the rest of your team, "Pack up, we're leaving to meet with the Commander. Arthur, take care of him, will you?"

He nods in a salute, "Of course, Captain. Lucas will, too, be safe."

* * *

"It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

A chuckle escapes your lips as you step further into his office, the sight of Commander Smith coming to view, his patch of perfectly neat blonde hair was enough for you to snicker, he never let it grew too long; the perfectionist that he is, "Five years."

"Seems awfully long," he sighs.

You slowly nod in agreement, "The General, despite making me his personal bodyguard, we do have other missions that I cannot disclose to you. I'm rarely by his side, it's mostly my team. Maybe that is why we barely crossed paths, wished you had the time to visit us more though."

"I apologize, my time as Commander takes up all of my time for such privilege" he chuckles, placing the paperwork aside as you occupy one of the seats in front of him, "I was starting to think you resented me—"

You shake your head, "You may be a pain in the ass, but I could never resent you."

"Me? A pain in the ass?" he scoffs, a small smile playing on his lips and then suddenly you finally realized how much you missed the man before you, "I could say the same about you little sister,"

You couldn't help but scrunch up your nose, scowling, "I'm not so little anymore, big brother."

"Ah," he agrees with a nod, "I suppose not. I'm glad you don't resent me as I thought you do, and I'm glad to finally see you again after so long."

"I'm glad to see you're alive," you admit with a sigh, "Not a day where I don't worry of your safety, brother. He misses you, you know."

His smile widens ever so slightly, "Will he be okay with you being away? Are you ready to be back then?"

You scoff, "I may not have been dealing with Titans, brother but that does not mean I've gone soft. I was not Top Three of my graduate class for nothing, and I trust General Zackly will take care of things while I'm gone. We've talked, he understands why I have to do this despite his age, he's too smart that one,"

"Oh, I know and I'm glad he understands," he chuckles, "You should head over to the headquarters where the boy is staying then, you know where it is. The old castle that you despise so much."

You scrunch up your features in distaste, "Hated that barmy place but I suppose it's what's best for the boy's situation. Are you sure he isn't dangerous, brother?"

He shakes his head, "Dangerous, yes. For someone who isn't fully capable of controlling his abilities, but he knows what he has to do. He wants to save humanity more than anything,"

You nod before pushing yourself to stand, "I suppose I will have to assess myself. I'll see you in a few days then, brother. My team and I will be heading there now, I wouldn't want to waste any more time than we already have,"

"Of course," he nods, watching you walk across the room towards the exit, "Safe travels, little sister. Don't give any of the soldiers hell."

You couldn't help but grin and send a wink towards his way, "Now, where would be the fun in that?"

* * *

_"You can't be serious, Erwin!" you practically hiss, slamming your hands down on his desk, "How can you be so sure we can trust him? He's—"_

_He holds a hand up to silent you, causing you to glare, "Enough, Y/N. I know of the reasons of your distrust, but I'm not asking you to trust him, I'm asking you to trust me."_

_"What will that trust of yours get you?" you yell, halting your words at the sound of someone's entry._

_The raven-haired man steps inside, his voice monotone as he speaks, "Is this a bad time? I'll leave—"_

_"Tch." you start before heading towards his direction, sending a glare at him, "I don't know what you're up to, but if you try anything with_ _Erwin, I will personally hunt you down." you hiss before leaving the office and slamming the door shut behind you._

_☽_

_"Tch, you're stupid." you roll your eyes as you stare up ahead to view the town, a small smile playing on your lips at the sight of the beauty from the hill, the cold air brushing against your skin._

_He almost chuckles and you wanted to see his face just to see if you had grown delusional_ _but you refrain yourself, not wanting to give him the satisfaction, "Of course you would say that."_

_"I don't know what you did for my brother to trust you so much," you sigh, shaking your head, "but I'm still keeping my eye on you, and it doesn't help that you admitted to only joining the Scouts to—"_

_He interrupts with a sigh,"I know. I'm sorry, and I will continue to be sorry until you forgive me."_

_"Why?" You ask in confusion, turning your head to face him, "Why does my forgiveness matter so much to you? Erwin seems to have forgiven you, in fact, he trusts you, that should be enough. I don't know why you continue to bother me, my mind won't change about you."_

_The corners of his mouth tug down to a small frown at your words, tearing his gaze away from you to look up ahead; shame etched in his features, "I don't know why Erwin has forgiven or trusts me so much, and I most certainly do not deserve your forgiveness for my actions but the mere sight of your anger and the disgust etched on your face every time you look at me—I just, I don't know myself. All I know is, I need to make peace with you."_

_"Driving you insane then?"_

_He chuckles, feeling a lump form in the back of his throat, "It has."_

_All you could do was stare at him, the glare you had as he spoke, suddenly softening. You quickly recover yourself, looking back up ahead; not wanting to give in and give him the easy route despite sounding sincere, "Good."_

* * *

_"Stop fidgeting!"_

_You wince as you felt a sharp pain everywhere in your body, "Don't tell me what to do!"_

_"Stop being a brat and let me fix this so we can get the hell out of here!"_

_You couldn't help but glare at the man that was trying to be as gentle as he can with your wounds, "You shouldn't have gone back. You should have—"_

_"I'm not leaving you, Y/N!" He practically yells as he flickers his gaze over to you, you couldn't help but flinch. Your breath hitches in the back of your throat as you meet his gaze; determination and desperation mixed in his orbs, "I'm not leaving you here to be Titan food, you're okay. I'll get you out of here."_

_That was all you heard before you slowly succumb into darkness, it was better than feeling pain._

* * *

_You wake up groggily, your eyes flickering slowly but you soon regret the action as the light practically stabs you in the eyes. You let out a groan, letting your eyes get adjusted._

_"You're awake," you hear **his** voice from next to you. As you blink your blurry vision away, he suddenly comes into focus on the side of the bed you occupied; from the surroundings you could see, it was most likely the headquarter's infirmary._

_"Levi..." You croak, wincing slightly as you tried to move._

_"Tch." You hear him, "don't move, brat. The doctor said everything's going to feel like shit."_

_You couldn't help the laugh that left your lips, "No shit." He grins. "Stop grinning like a maniac, it's disturbing. What happened?"_

_He starts talking, words spilling out of his mouth about how the expedition outside the walls were nowhere near successful, still not having any information regarding with the Titans. However, somehow you didn't care. You feel grateful to be alive. You cut him off, "Levi?"_

_"What?" He asks, brows furrowing. With little strength that you could muster, you grab his shirt to pull him closer to you, pressing your lips to his softly and mumbling, "Thank you."_

"Well, I certainly didn't miss this ghastly place," Mia announces your arrivals in distaste as you all unmount your horses.

You move towards the head of your dark Arabian horse, smiling as Thunder nuzzles against your face. "Thank you boy," you mumble softly as you pat him affectionately. Your gaze falls upon the handful of soldiers scattered about near the vast compound, watching you and your team in curiosity and in a slight defensive manner, you couldn't blame them, it wasn't as if they knew you or were aware of this.

"Halt!" one of them yells as they cautiously approach, you arch a brow in curiosity. "State your business."

You knew that it wouldn't be that quick to send word of your arrival and mission to those who are now residing in the headquarters, so despite the soldier's demanding tone, you spoke calmly "Stand down, soldier. We are here under orders from General Zackly."

They slowly let their guards down, however, still hesitant. Zachariah chuckles at the sight of their tense postures as you approach the castle's entrance, "So much for a welcoming party, ay?"

You slowly turn your attention over to a raven-haired boy that stood near the entrance, you had not noticed him earlier but at the sight of certain soldiers suddenly shuffling over to him with a protective stance, you couldn't help but wonder if this was the new recruit that you were told about, "Eren, am I correct?" You couldn't help the amused smirk curling up your lips at the sight of the fellow scouts that stood protectively around the boy tense up. You extend your arm out to hold out your hand towards his direction, "It's an honour to work with humanity's hope."

You watch as his eyes widen at your words, slowly stepping forward despite the protests from his fellow soldiers that surrounded him. You suddenly felt pride for the boy before you as he holds your hand for a shake, and with a nod for response. There was nothing much to say, the fear was evident in his eyes but it had a mixture of respect and determination, you admire that about him.

"Now," you start as you remove your grip on Eren's hand, turning your gaze over to one of the soldiers that stood around him protectively, still amused at them, "Where can I find the soldier in charge?"

"Captain Levi's in his office," the female soldier who had short ginger hair with amber-coloured eyes speaks over the sneering male soldiers, "The second floor."

"Of course Levi's in charge," you mutter underneath your breath as you roll your eyes. You turn your attention over to the soldier who spoke and nod in appreciation, before turning away from the group. Glancing over your shoulder to speak over to your team, "I'll be right back, make sure not to cause any trouble while I'm gone."

"Now," Martin chuckles, a small playful grin playing on his lips, "Why on earth would we do that?"

"Tch." you roll your eyes before entering the castle that you have grown accustomed to a while back when you first started in the Survey Corps after you had graduated. You didn't expect much has changed, so you hadn't bothered to examine the interior as you head upstairs to where you were directed; you had expected where the office the woman had mentioned was. It was yours after all, it was the only office on the second floor, or at least it was, you weren't quite sure. It had been a while, so maybe they did renovations, but you weren't sure of it. Either way, you had a vague idea of where the office was.

And as expected, the gold plaque on one of the wooden doors that had _Captain Levi_ in bold letters catches your eye, and it indeed leads to the old office that you once owned. Not wanting to waste another second, you cross the distance and knock on the door.

There was a muffle of, _"What is it this time?"_ behind the door and you couldn't help but roll your eyes at the grumpiness his voice radiated.

Not wanting to reveal your identity just yet, you didn't wait to be invited in; and you didn't care if it were to annoy the man that occupied the room, you simply let yourself in. Your eyes fall on the raven-haired man that sat behind his desk, at your mere presence his eyes widens. "I'm here to accompany you supervising Eren Yeager during the duration of his stay in the Survey Corps."

"Under whose orders?" he inquires, keeping his expression calm but you knew better, _you knew him better._

You step further into the room, examining the clean surroundings appreciatively—it was as if you never left, "General Zackly's," you muse, before turning your gaze over to him, "Don't fret, you can go on as plan and imagine as if my team and I aren't here."

He mutters underneath his breath, "Tch. Typical of Zackly to send someone to watch over us,"

You hum in response before plopping yourself down one of the seats, "I'll be blunt, he obviously doesn't trust you, and I will try not to get in the way as much,"

"And let you in on expeditio—"

You simply cut him off, "I know the drill, I was a Scout before, Levi. I know you haven't forgotten of such a fact and it isn't up to you whether I join expeditions. You may have risen up in the ranks, but I do not answer to you."

He narrows his gaze, "Tch. So you left because—"

"I do not appreciate your assumptions of me either, _Captain._ " you start, practically almost sneering but you kept your emotions in check as you continue, "I was in the Survey Corps until my team and I have been handpicked by General Zackly himself to move our positions to the Interior, but I assure you I am best at what I do, you of all people should be aware of such. So don't make unnecessary comments about myself, as I don't make unnecessary comments about you, and trust me, I have plenty. However, I shall hold those opinions to myself until I see fit to put you in your place,"

He stares at you in disbelief, his jaw clenching ever so slightly. Clearly, you weren't afraid of him like the other soldiers are, you never were, "Tch. It's not like I can do anything about it. Very well..." he trails off, surveying your uniform with his gaze, noticing the familiar symbols of a captain etched in the fabric, "Captain...?"

You slowly stand from your spot, walking towards the door where you entered from, "This isn't a social call, Levi. I'm here because it is my duty." you simply state, not wanting to stay in the confinements of his office any longer than you have to. You didn't even have to look back to know his reaction, you know for a fact that the mere act of his name rolling off of your tongue was enough for him to go on edge, "Oh, and Levi?" you drawl, glancing behind your shoulders, a small smirk playing your lips at the sight of his flustered face at the mention of just his name, "I loved what you did with my office, just the way I like it. Clean."

Without another word, you left the room as you close the door behind you, a small smirk playing on your lips as you left to find your team.

Meanwhile, inside the office, a certain captain had sat in his chair, staring at where you stood moments ago, completely bewildered by the whole conversation and your return. Slightly irritated, of course. Who didn't irritate the Captain on a daily basis? He wants so much to hate you, the mere thought of someone supervising him was enough to irritate him, but he wanted to hate you for so much more.

Most of all, it didn't help that you were still breathtaking.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own anything except for my original characters for this story and my ideas.

It doesn't take long for word to spread about your return and the most mind-blowing fact of all, your relation to the Commander and how before anything else, you were one of the few soldiers of the scouts that held a reputation. A soldier who was easily promoted to Squad Leader with her brother in the year 844, the both saving more fellow comrades during expeditions outside the walls and not even having a single member of their team shed single blood. You were one of the legendary scouts, and it was a shame that you had to leave. No one exactly knew why, and you'd like to keep that way as much as possible.

You wanted to let them doubt you, that you barely had the skills alongside your team who hadn't been outside the walls for years, you wanted them to think as if you were no longer someone who can hold her own against Titans. You and your team weren't bothered, of course. The simple gossip had never bothered you and your team anymore, practically immune to pointless words. It was not as important as saving humanity.

For the past few days, you had followed your duty in supervising Eren's movements but you also kept your word to the Captain by avoiding any other interaction unless it involved Eren. Well, you tried to at least but you tried your best to avoid Levi as much as you could despite his persistence, you only spoke to him when needed, and it wasn't needed as much, lately, Eren himself approached you without Levi's permission which irked the raven-haired Captain, much to your amusement. As much as you adored riling people up, you stayed silent. Keeping tabs on Eren and his movements, you kept a safe distance away, only giving opinions when needed. Either than that, you trained with your team.

Somehow, the rest of the soldiers that occupied the headquarters, seemed to be in awe of you and your team. Despite not being in the regiment for so long, you and your team showed your skills better than anyone, some unfamiliar with the techniques you used but it had caught their eye anyway. The five of you moved together in sync, no words were shared between the five of you, somehow you all just knew, working together for years, somehow—the five of you learned to communicate with each other without any words being exchanged. And you weren't going to admit it to anyone, but you did indeed miss the wind brushing against your skin when you used the ODM gear. And again, despite not using it awhile, you still had a flawless technique. And the boy Eren himself wanted to be trained by you himself, and of course, you happily obliged.

Levi, on the other hand, had been trying his best not to let his emotions surface for everyone to see. It irked him how you barely gave him an ounce of your attention. Somehow, the longer of your stay, the more annoyed he grew. He tried his best to ignore your presence, but wherever he looked, you were there as if on cue. And he didn't think it would even be possible, but somehow the very sight of you, made his heart skip faster than normal. It was as if your mere presence was enough to break through the walls he had built around himself from your abrupt disappearance all those years ago.

He grew frustrated every time you averted your gaze away from him, or whenever you shifted the topic of the conversation away from what he really wanted to know. He couldn't bring himself to start conversations or ask questions regarding your sudden disappearance all those years ago without causing suspicions from fellow soldiers about or upsetting you in public. He had been devising a plan in his head the past couple of days since your arrival to get you alone, to talk, he figured he deserved that much since your sudden departure, but every time he had found you, you were either with your squad or suddenly have found a way to slip away from him, and he is in charge as well, had his own duties to fulfil; and just because you had returned, he wasn't going to let it get to him to avoid his duties as Captain—or at least, _try it_ not to get to him. It was disappointing and irritating to the raven-haired Captain.

Soon, night has fallen and you and your team occupied the castle's mess hall together with the soldiers that you have come to know as members of the Special Operations Squad _,_ or also known as _Squad Levi_ , it was unavoidable; you didn't want to raise suspicions from fellow soldiers if you were to avoid Levi altogether, you wanted to avoid people digging for answers of such attitude, wanting to find the right moment for you to let the truth come from yourself, not through nosy gossiping cadets. So when needed be, you shared moments like these, together with other soldiers. You sat on the other end of the table, across Levi; avoiding meeting his gaze, however, you could practically feel his gaze on you. You didn't know if he was beginning to become desperate for your attention or he was just being cocky.

"We'll probably be ordered to stay on standby for the next several days..." you hear one of them speak, flickering your gaze up to the source. The man who had his blonde hair tied into a bun was speaking, who you have come to know as Eld, "but I hear they're thinking of launching a large-scale expedition past the wall in 30 days. And that they're rushing to put some recent graduates in the mix."

"Isn't it a bit too soon? The raw recruits just went through a titan invasion!" the man you have come to know as Gunther adds, and you couldn't help but agree with him silently, however, still, you stay silent as you stir the remains of your tea with a small teaspoon.

The slightly obnoxious Oluo speaks in a manner all too familiar to you, "I bet the brats were paralyzed with fright." You couldn't help but roll your eyes as he spoke.

"Is it true, Captain?" the ginger, Petra, ask. You shift your gaze over to her, examining the woman. You've been examining her for quite some time, how she moved around Levi himself— _ugh,_ what are you even thinking?

You drift away from their conversation, suddenly your tea seeming more interesting than the words being exchanged within the group—even your team seemed uninterested, keeping to themselves. You suddenly snap to sit up, hearing the muffled sounds of distant hasty footsteps growing louder and louder by the second, and before you knew it the doors fly wide open and a familiar voice echoes throughout the room.

"Hi there, Squad Levi!" she announces her entrance before flickering her attention over to you and your team to greet your group, squealing before approaching quickly, wrapping her arms around you, "I've missed you! I'm a little bummed you didn't see me first when you returned to the scouts, so upset."

You couldn't help but chuckle before returning the hug, "I've missed you too, Hange."

Pulling away from you, she returns her attention over to the rest of the soldiers in the room, "Is the castle comfortable?" Not bothering to wait for anyone's reply, she continues, "I'm currently handling the examination of the two titans that were captured in town. And I'd like you to assist me with my experiment tomorrow, Eren." You watch the interaction between Hange and Eren, a small smirk playing on your lips at the sight of how uncomfortable Eren had grown under Hange's gaze, "I stopped by to get permission."

"Experiment...?" Eren trails off, blinking a couple of times in confusion, "What could I...?"

Hange continues with excitement, "Well, you see, it's just seething with rage!" This whole conversation was amusing to you and you continue watching before you catch from the corner of your eye, a pair of orbs staring at you again. You knew exactly _who_ it was, giving him the attention he seemed to crave, you shift your gaze over to meet his, arching your brow at him curiously.

The conversation between Eren and Hange still going on in the background as you seem to have an eye showdown between Levi. "Um, the thing is, I can't give you permission. I don't have any authority over myself these days..."

"Levi?" Hange calls, but he kept his gaze locked on yours as Hange calls out your name as well, "What's on Eren's Agenda for tomorrow?"

You remove your gaze away from him to look over at Hange, not capturing the look of disappointment that flickered over Levi's features when you averted your gaze. You were about to answer but Levi beat you to it, "Cleaning the yard."

"Great, then it's settled!" she claps her hands before reaching over to grab Eren's hand in hers, shaking it excitedly, "Eren! I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ah, okay..." Eren starts, unsure. "But what do you mean by Titan experiment?"

Oluo interrupts, "Hey! Don't get her started—"

Hange almost seemed to squeal, "Ah I knew it! I thought you looked curious!" And with that, every single one of you and the soldiers that had sat around the table quickly got up to stand. As much as you were intrigued with anything that is to do with Titans, you didn't want to spend the night with Hange, no matter how much you adored her.

You nod at your squad, bidding them goodnight before separating from the group, having all of your quarters separated from each other due to the late arrival, there weren't much bed spaces up for vacancy in the castle, so for now, you occupied one of the available private chambers in the private housing near the castle, while the rest of the members of your squad was scattered about in the soldier chambers, sharing bunk beds.

Your feet start moving towards the direction of where the room you were going to occupy during your stay, the sound from the heels of your boots echoing throughout walls of the private housing. You hum softly to yourself before the hairs on your back start to stand at the sense of someone following you. You had a very good idea of who it was.

As you put your footsteps to a halt, standing a few feet away from the door that leads to your chambers, you speak, "Is there anything I can help you with?" You continue, addressing your lurker, "You're very stealthy, Levi, but despite years of your absence in my life, you haven't changed one bit." Spinning around, you arch an eyebrow as you try to find his gaze in the shadows, "Now, what can I do for you to stop such stalking behaviour?"

Levi steps out from the shadows, his hands tucked in his pockets, "Why are you avoiding me?"

"Avoiding you?" You let out a dry laugh, shaking your head, "I have not been avoiding you, we've talked earlier in the day."

"Tch," his brows furrowing, "You know what I mean,"

You shake your head, "What do you want me to say, Levi?"

"I want you to tell me why, give me the reason why." He demands, his voice growing desperate as he spoke. You stay silent, refusing to give in to the temptation to speak. You keep your eyes on him, your orbs swallowing every inch of his features as if you were afraid you would never see him again after this— _no_ , it was more like how you were savouring this moment because deep down inside you knew you missed him.

As you watch him, he did so too. Whilst his features weren't as evident from the lack of lighting, you almost seemed as if you were glowing under his gaze. The light illuminating from the moon had somehow fallen upon you through the large windows, it made your features stand out even more to him. He hadn't noticed it before, but now—as the both of you stood face to face without any interruptions, he could now see. The delicate features of yours that he loved so much, were still there, however, throughout the five years of your absence, it became obvious to one who would observe how you've matured. He had opinions about how you looked absolutely the same, probably because they lack trouble within the interior— _the easy life_ , but he kept those opinions to himself, afraid of being wrong and upsetting you. What could have possibly changed you within the walls of the interior? He grew even more desperate due to his curiosity.

He takes a step forward closer to you, and as if by instinct, you take a step backwards much to his disappointment. However, something cathes his eye by your movements—the light radiates off of a heart-shaped locket, a necklace that was securely wrapped around your neck. He hadn't noticed of such jewellery before and now that it caught his eye, assumption after assumption began consuming his thoughts. His features scrunch up in distaste as he speaks, "From your lover then?"

Your eyes widen at the accusation before lowering your gaze down slightly to where he was gesturing, the corners of your mouth tugging down to a frown before you grab the trinket in your hands, contemplating whether it was time to come clean to the man before you. As you keep silent, this only adds the fuel to Levi's irritation. "So you left me for someone in the interior then? I should have seen that one coming."

You snap your attention back over to him, narrowing your gaze at his accusation. Releasing your grip on the locket, you lower your hands down to your side as you fight away the growing emotions in your head, and the breaking of your own heart. You wanted to scream at him, tell him the truth—but as those words escaped his mouth, your pride won over and you practically sneer towards his direction. "Careful, Levi. You almost sound like you're jealous." You spat before spinning around to enter your chambers, "you know nothing," you mutter sadly underneath your breath before you slam the door shut behind you, leaving a confused and guilty man by the other side.

* * *

_He calls out your name as soon as he sees you walking about, you could almost hear his hasty footsteps from afar as he rushes over to your side. "Where have you been? Should you even be walking around—"_

_"I'm fine," you interrupt him as you continue to walk at a leisurely pace, fighting the urge to wince at the soreness and pain that your healing wounds are creating as you try to avoid his gaze as much as you could, "I will tell you the same thing as I've told Erwin, I'm fine."_

_He frowns as he walks at the same pace as you, "but your wounds..." He trails off with a sigh, "the nurse—"_

_"I said I'm fine, Levi!" You snap, growing annoyed of where the conversation was leading, turning your head to face him with a glare; you couldn't bring yourself to even care of the other pairs of eyes that you've captured from your outburst, "So just, leave me alone. I'm not an invalid!"_

_"I'm just trying to help—" he mumbles underneath his breath as he tries to reach out for you._

_You take a step back, shaking your head as you let out a heavy sigh, "Stop, I don't want you to look out for me. Just because I kissed you, doesn't mean anything. It was a mistake. So just stop, and leave me the fuck alone."_

_As soon as the words slip past your lips, you knew deep down inside, you regretted them when you catch a glimpse of the hurt etched in his features, but your pride was your enemy and before you could take back such harsh words, you take off, leaving a confused and hurt Levi watching you walk away._

You let out a gasp as you sit up from your bed, the memory serving as your nightmare was enough to wake you from your slumber. You didn't know how long you slept, but it almost seems as if the sun was about to make an appearance soon.

You wipe away the beads of sweat that had formed around your forehead during your sleep, the heavy feeling in your chest bothering you as you were reminded of the first time you've hurt Levi's emotions. You didn't know why you were suddenly reminded of such. As if the guilt during the times you were awake when you've returned to the Survey Corps were not enough punishment, your subconscious decides to torture you furthermore, as if it were pushing you to come clean.

You let out a frustrated groan before leaving the bed to take a quick shower in the small bathroom connected to your chambers so you could finally get ready for the day, wanting at least to occupy yourself to get rid of your own guilty thoughts. You need something to do, or it was a matter of time before you grew insane from the guilt. You expected of such, returning to the regiment was a bad idea from the start—however, it wasn't as if you could have refused.

As you were about to get dressed, memories seem to flood your mind at the mere sight of the uniform you once wore a few years back. You and your squad were finally given uniforms that had the Scout's logo stitched in the fabric, seeing it and having to wear the garment now brought back good and sad memories for you, you didn't think you would be wearing such uniform anymore.

Leaving your chambers, the memory of the previous night's conversation with Levi causes you to frown. You begin to wonder how you must have hurt Levi once again, started to wonder where he went as soon as you slam the door shut in his face. _Tch, probably into the arms of that ginger woman._ You tried to shrug off the green-eyed monster whispering in your ear away as if it rested on your shoulders. As the conversation you had with him replays in your head, you couldn't help but grab onto the locket, playing with the trinket with your fingers. You knew why you refuse to tell him the answers he demanded, you were scared.

You move away from your spot, letting your feet drag you away to wherever it would take you as you continue playing with the trinket in your hand. You walk out of the private housing, letting the cold morning air brush against your skin as you made your way back into the castle. You were afraid. Afraid of Levi's reaction to your truth that you desperately kept hidden all those years. _How pathetic of you._

As you near the mess hall that you and the group of soldiers occupied the evening before, your ears pick up almost instantly the muffled voices coming from behind the closed doors, it made your eyebrows raise in curiosity as to who could even be awake at such a time, knowing it was still early for breakfast itself.

Pushing the door open, your eyes widen at the sight of the occupants of the room, "What in the name of the walls..." You mutter underneath your breath in disbelief as you step inside, closing the door behind you, "how are the both of you still awake? Tell me you hadn't been torturing Eren the whole night with your theories, Hange!"

"Captain!" Eren gasp, his heavy eyelids suddenly snapping wide open at your presence, his eyes practically begging you to take him away.

Not even a sight of exhaustion evident on Hange's features, her eyes lighting up at the sight of your arrival, calling out your name almost immediately, "I was just about to explain to Eren here about what we've found so far from the experiments mixed with my own speculations," 

However, before you could respond to Hange, your ears instantly pick up the footsteps that were fast approaching towards the mess hall. Quickly, you step away, not wanting to be hit on impact when the doors burst open of the incoming footsteps. Right on cue, as you stepped away, the oak doors burst wide open, revealing a fellow scout. "Is Squad Leader Hange here?" he gasps, trying to catch his breath, his eyes instantly falling on Hange, "The subjects..." he starts, still trying to catch his breath, "Both titans have been killed!" 

* * *

The ride to where the titans were being held was a swift one, now all of you are standing there, watching Hange react emotionally at the sight of her dead titans that somehow, she had grown fond of. As if Hange's cries weren't enough to put you on edge, the soldiers that surrounded the area began to irritate you with their silly gossiping. "Let's go," you hear Levi speak, "the rest is up to the military police brigade." 

However, as you were about to leave, the sight of Erwin catches your eye. After a few words exchanged with Eren, your brother gestures you to follow. Lightly tapping Zachariah's shoulder, the two of you exchange a silent understanding, of him to look after Eren in your absence. 

"You understand what this means, don't you?" 

You nod solemnly as you follow in step with your brother, "I'm afraid so." 

Without wanting to waste any more time, you mount your horse as did Erwin and Levi who had been instructed to follow. You three and a few other soldiers under Erwin's command follow the commander hastily. Soon, those who Erwin seemed to trust, occupied his office, some looking determined, and some queasy from the thick tense atmosphere that surrounded the occupants in the room.

"You are all here because what I fear the most has finally happened," Erwin starts solemnly, "Due to what has happened with Squad Leader Hange's titan experiments, we can only assume that we have a traitor among us."

One of the soldiers speaks, "How is that so, Commander? What if it's just someone who really hates titans?"

He shakes his head, "The ones who knew of the experiments are only us scouts and a few from the other regiments to be able to transfer these titans themselves, and of course the Royal Government for approval."

"Either way sir," another soldier interrupts, "this doesn't change the fact that it's just an assumption."

You shake your head, you understand what they were saying, however, it was clearly obvious as to what had happened, "If this was done out of anger towards the Titans, it would have happened much earlier, but you're right, this is just an assumption, so we have to keep our options open. We have to look at this at every angle," you speak with a determined look in your features, "I believe that whoever did this, is a traitor who doesn't want us finding out more about the titans, we cannot ignore the fact of the growing information Hange has gotten through these experiments."

"I share the same sentiments," you hear Levi speak in agreement to what you had said from the other side of Erwin; causing you to glance at him in curiosity, however, the Captain was nowhere looking towards your direction. _Have I really upset him this time? Ugh, why does this bother me at a time like this?_ "What suppose is the plan this time, Erwin?"

Standing up from his seat, hands on his desk with the look of a determination, "We set up a trap."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! What do you guys think the reader's secret is?


End file.
